In pictures: Inside the Medina Hospital in Somalia

The Medina Hospital in Somalia's capital Mogadishu offers a lifeline to many of those caught up in a conflict that has continued for 20 years. Photographer Andre Lion of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was on hand to record these pictures.

Medina is one of only two referral hospitals that remain in operation in the country. Here a nurse awaits a patient injured during fighting between government forces, backed by the African Union, against groups such as al-Shabab.

Approximately two-thirds of the injuries treated by the doctors are bullet wounds.

The nurse does not have to wait long before a patient arrives. Stripped of his clothes, the wounded man is washed and examined to determine the nature of his injuries.

Triage patients are evaluated on the severity of their injuries and treated accordingly. This woman was hit by a stray bullet.

One man arrived with a wound to his abdomen but despite a successful operation he died due to a lack of "O-negative" blood.

Patients occupy the hospital corridors as the rooms are filled to capacity. Most of the buildings at the Medina complex are composed of pre-fabricated containers.

The ICRC supplies the hospital with surgical equipment and medicines, pays for running costs such as salaries and fuel purchases, and also helps to repair and upgrade facilities where necessary.

The doctors also provide physiotherapy to help patients recover from their wounds and regain mobility.

As more and more paediatric patients are coming to the hospital, the director plans to open a paediatric wing in the near future.

Volunteer nurses are cleaning a new area where the hospital’s administration plans to build a new section for the chronically ill. All photos by Andre Liohn/ICRC.

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